How to Install Knobs on Kitchen Cabinets

Kitchen cabinet knobs can update the look of your space and also make it much easier to open the doors. If you have newer cabinets and did not get around to installing cabinet knobs, it is possible to do this yourself. All you need is a few basic tools to attach the kitchen cabinet knobs and update your kitchen.

Things You'll Need

Measuring tape

Cabinet knobs with screws to fit

Power drill

Drill bit same diameter as knob screws

Phillips head screwdriver (optional)

Determine where to place the knob on the cabinet doors. Place the knob near the bottom of the door for overhead cabinets. Install the knobs close to the top of the door for lower cabinets. Attach the knob near the center of the door for eye level cabinets.

Measure the length of the cabinet with a tape measure. To install a knob in the middle of the cabinet, divide the length by two. Measure that amount down from the top of the cabinet and draw a horizontal mark with a pencil.

Start at the edge of the cabinet where the door opens and measure in one or two inches and place a vertical mark. Place a mark where the two lines intersect. This is where you will install the knob. If there is a door facing it, repeat this step for the other door and use the level to make sure the marks are even.

Drill holes for the knobs on the marks you made and make sure the drill bit is the same size as the screw for the knob. Go all the way through the wood and back out again. Push the screw through the back of the hole, so it pops out through the front of the door. Fit the knob on the end of the screw and hand-tighten. If necessary, use a Phillips head screwdriver to tighten the rest of the way. Repeat this step for any matching doors.

To install a knob at the bottom of the cabinet, measure up two inches from the bottom edge. Measure two inches in from the side where the doors open and place mark where the two lines intersect. Repeat this method for any doors facing it. Use a measuring tape or a level if necessary.

To fit a knob at the top of the cabinet, measure two inches down from top edge and two inches in from the edge where the door opens. Install the knobs where the two lines intersect. Complete these measurements for any opposing doors and use a level and measuring tape when necessary.